Home
by AnkoStone
Summary: After a year of isolation and meditation Japan finally has to face up to his people. Will he be welcomed home?
-I'm coming home
I'm coming home  
Tell the world that I'm coming home  
Let the rain wash away  
All the pain of yesterday  
I know my kingdom awaits  
And they've forgiven my mistakes  
I'm coming home  
I'm coming home  
Tell the world that I'm coming…-

Japan looked up towards the sky. It was a pretty pink color, as it normally was in the early hours of the morning. Japan breathed in the air.

It was time to go home.

For a year, Japan had been in training, hoping to become a better leader. To become stronger for his people and his country, but he didn't feel like he was ready.

He didn't want to return a failure.

He had made so many mistakes in his time as a rising power. World War II being the biggest of them all. Despite what most people say about countries, they do have a say in what wars they join.

And Japan had been a full supporter. He wanted World War II. He had wanted to become powerful, with Italy and Germany at his side! Did he agree with what Hitler did? No, but at the time he didn't care. He would have done anything to rule the world as the empires before him had.

But he has since seen the error of his ways. Unfortunately, it had a to take a nuclear bomb to see them.

He didn't ever want that to happen again. He never wanted to see babies born with three arms, or nuclear cancer in lungs. He never wanted generations after World War II to still suffer. That is why he left. To be a better leader. To think about things even more carefully than he did before. If it meant saving his own people, he would do anything.

But going back to them, was probably the hardest thing he had to do.

He never really left Japan, but he had went to a more secluded area of his country. A place where he could train and pray. A place where no one would find him, not even his boss, though Japan was smart enough to leave his boss with some idea of where he was, in case his country was in need of an early return.

However, it was time to return back to his people. He didn't feel ready, honestly he never felt so unprepared in his life, but it was time.

A light rain began to fall from the pink sky. He had made arrangements for a privet jet to come get him, because he didn't want to go to an airport. He wanted to avoid all confrontation that was possible. It was weird, Japan never feared fighting or dying, but now that was he to return, he feared he would be unforgiven. That his people would hate him, and that he would ultimately just be a failure.

When the plane arrived he boarded it. No one was on except the pilot, who Japan avoided as well. He just sat on the plane and watched the scene bellow him. He mentally said goodbye to the place he had called home for a year. But it wasn't really his home. It was just his land. Home was with his people.

When the plane landed, the polite offered to escort Japan off.

"No thank you, I'm fine." Japan insisted, and walked towards the exit. The door opened, and the sun shined in Japan's eyes. He shut them tightly, and as he did his ears picked up a strange noise. It sounded like yelling, or cheering?

Japan held his hand up to block the sun. What he saw amazed him.

His people crowded the plane. They were cheering? Was this a riot?

Japan listened harder to listen to what they were saying.

"Welcome home, Japan!"

They were cheering for him?

Japan walked off the plane and the cheering grew louder. Japan didn't know what to make of it. He looked around at the Japanese men and women and children that cheered as he passed, all smiling, some even crying.

When he made it to the end of the crowed, Japan was greeted by his boss.

"Kon'nichiwa, welcome home, Japan-san." His boss said bowing. Japan bowed back.

"What is going on?" He asked his boss.

"They missed you." Was all his boss said. Japan looked back at the crowed. They still cheered and rejoiced, Japan had never seen such a celebration.

"They're cheering, is for me?" He asked his boss, who nodded. Japan let a smile creep onto his face.

He didn't think they cared if he had become a better leader anymore. They loved him for who he was. They loved Japan for what it had become, even if it had been through some rough times.

"I am home." Japan whispered silently to himself. What he had thought earlier was true.

It isn't the land that you live on, it is the people you are surrounded by that makes a place a

-home-


End file.
